Service boxes complete with rods are widely used in the public utility field to provide access or operation to the valve and other control components of conduits and pipelines buried in the ground. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,864 teaches a curb box and a method for making the same, which is formed of mouldable synthetic material, others are made of iron/steel.
Another arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,034 which relates to a curb box which is installed in the ground in valve protecting position and is positioned vertically so that if an upper portion of the box is sheared off or otherwise accidentally removed, the remaining box portion will be detectable because of the presence of a portion of the detectable metallic means.
Yet another arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,218 which relates to a cleaner and actuator device for remote access valve controls.
Finally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 43,056 and 380,308 teach a stop cock and case for pipes leading from street mains and a stop cock box respectively.
A common problem which utilities encounter relates to the operation of the control valve, stop cock, curb stop, when the service box rod and/or key becomes disconnected from the valve or shut-off. Traditionally, the method of connecting the service box rod and/or key to the curb stop or valve curb stop or control valve has been by means of a fork or prong that is welded or moulded to the rod and a cotter pin or other similar pin produced from non-corrosive material, such as brass, is used to secure the rod or key to the valve. Very often, the non-corrosive cotter pin or pins is not used or is replaced with a cotter pin or pins that is corrosive. Therefore, the cotter pin or pins corrodes the rod or key, becomes disconnected from the valve, which results in the valve becoming inoperable. Moreover, the cotter pin may also become disconnected or broken through time. Moreover, sometimes the pins are not used to attach the rod and once operated the rod becomes detached from the valve. Furthermore, non stainless steel rods are used which corrode and must be repaired or replaced.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved adaptor which can be utilized to quickly and efficiently repair an inoperable connection between the rod or key and valve. It is another object of this invention to provide an alternative to the pin connecting method by utilizing a displaceable engageable member.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved method for removal of the valve box and rod in order to reconnect the service box rod or key to the valve by utilizing a high pressure water washout and vacuum method.
It is an aspect of this invention to provide an adaptor for activating a valve, said adaptor including a socket at one end thereof to register with the valve, the socket including at least one displaceable engageable member for gripping the valve when the socket is urged against the valve for operating the valve.
It is another aspect of this invention to provide a service box assembly for a valve disposed in the ground said service box assembly including: upper and lower tubular telescopic portions for presenting an access passage from the valve to ground level; a removable cover plate to cover said access passage; an adaptor for activating said valve, said adaptor including a socket at one end thereof to register with the valve, said socket including at least one displaceable engageable member for gripping said valve when said socket is urged against said valve for operating said valve; a service box rod disposed within said access passage and connected to said adaptor for rotating said adaptor and said valve to open said valve in a first position and to close said valve in a second position.
It is yet another aspect of this invention to provide a method of connecting a service box rod to a valve having an operable lug with a depression therein in the ground comprising the steps of: connecting one end of the rod to one end of the adaptor, where the adaptor has a socket at the other end opposite said end connected to the rod, said socket including at least one displaceable engageable member; urging the adaptor over the operable lug of said valve and displacing said engageable members so as to register and lock with said depression of said lug and grip said lug for operating the valve.
It is also another aspect of this invention to provide a method of exposing a valve to reinstall an inoperable service box rod in a service box assembly having a valve below ground comprising the steps of: creating a hole in the ground just sufficient to clear the service box assembly by using a high-pressure water or air washout and vacuuming the debris until the ground has been excavated around the service box assembly to said valve; removing said service box assembly; removing said service box rods having a fork with apertures at one end thereof; connecting an adaptor having an extension with a hole at one end thereof for alignment with said apertures of said fork and forcing a locking pin through said hole and said apertures, said adaptor including a socket at another end thereof, said socket including at least one displaceable engageable member; reintroducing said service box assembly over said valve; urging said adaptor over said valve and displacing said engageable member with said valve for operating said valve; filling said hole.
It is yet another aspect of this invention to provide an installation tool to locate and maintain a service box rod within the service box assembly comprising; a clamping mechanism for clamping the end of the service box rod; a first pulley connected to the clamping mechanism for releasably clamping the end of the service box rod when the first pulley is activated; and a second pulley connected to the first pulley for activating the first pulley.
It is yet another aspect of this invention to provide an adaptor having one end for activating a valve and another end for connection to a rod said adaptor including a socket at said one end to register with said valve for operating said valve, and including a slot at said other end for receiving and pivotally connecting to said rod.
It is a further aspect of this invention to provide a pin removal tool for removing a pin comprising first and second arms connected to gripping means for removing said pin when said arms are moved from an open position to a closed position, fixed handle means fixedly secured to one of said arms, and displaceable handle means, connected to said other arm, adapted to move said other arm relative said one of said arms so as to remove said pin.
Yet a further aspect of this invention provides for a method of exposing a valve to repair an inoperable service box rod in a service box assembly having a valve below ground by creating a hole in said ground sufficient to clean said service box assembly by using a high-pressure fluid to loosen and clear said ground from around said service box assembly for access to said inoperable service box rod for repair of the service box rod from the surface.